


Can we keep it?

by pjlover666



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Big family, Don't ignore the Pet Rule, Family, Gen, He has no idea how Prowl does it, Jazz's life isn't easy, M/M, Once a family - always a family, Once you become a constructicon there is no going back, strange family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-10
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-05-25 23:56:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6215320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pjlover666/pseuds/pjlover666
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scavenger loves the little treasures he always finds. Scrapper used to love them too.<br/>And his latest finding was his greatest one yet. He just had to work around the pet rule - but hey, that's why he had his brothers, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Can we keep it?

**Author's Note:**

> AU. Big AU.  
> Hello everyone ^^" It's been a while since I wrote anything by myself (I am addicted to rp-ing currently) but after tasting **silberstreif's** Constructicons my muse just wouldn't let me rest.  
>  This is my first time playing with them, so I apologize if they seem too OOC. I really, really hope I did them justice.  
> Not beta'd - I'm sorry for the typos ^^"

Scavenger loved the little pieces of treasure he found every orn. Some were more sparkly than others but they were all equally pretty in his optics. Scrapper had liked it when they sparkled. Shaking his helm to clear those thoughts away, tail twirling behind him, Scavenger quickly sent the code to unlock the front entrance to their home, heading up the stair where he felt his brothers were lounging, excited.

He couldn’t wait to show them the latest treasure he had found, this was /surely/ one of the best ones ever!

“There you are.” Hook looked up from a pad he had been reading, red visor glinting. Long Haul seemed to be dozing on the couch next to him. Ever since Scrapper… let’s just say Long Haul liked to recharge a lot these orns. “You were supposed to be back a joor ago. What if the boss found out you’ve been skipping curfew again?”

“Yeah, we don’t want a repeat of last time.” Bonecrusher muttered, more interested in watching Mixmaster build a perfect replica of the Iacon Towers from playing cards. His fingers twitched, feeling itchy to pull a card out and watch the whole thing crumble. A wisely time placed glare from Mixmaster stopped him though.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let that happen again.” Last time Scavenger being so distraught by the broken bond that he ended up driving late one night and crashed. Badly. “I’m good now and look what I found!” He reached into his subspace and pulled out something.

“That’s nice.” Hook muttered, reading something on his pad.

“But you’re not even looking!” Scavenger said, complaining, tail twitching behind his back.

Giving an exasperated sigh, Hook looked up and felt the data-pad slip from his finger. “Scavenger! What the slag is THAT?!” He yelled, standing up from the couch. His shout made Long Haul jump next to him awake, blinking surprised and looking around.

The shout made Mixmaster’s hand twitch and the card replica crumbled, making Bonecrusher pout. He turned, ready to yell at them when suddenly: _“What the frag?!”_

“Isn’t it cool?” Scavenger beamed, “I named him Marble.”

Marble warbled at them, stuffing his servo in his mouth. Little winglets fluttered on his back as big green optics peered at them.

Holy. Slag.

“Scavenger…” Hook started slowly. “/ _Where_ / did you find that sparkling?!” He couldn’t keep the rest of his sentence calm.

“Tell me you did /not/ steal it…” Long Haul stared at the sparkling distrustfully.

“I would never!” Scavenger looked offended. “I found it in the trash.”

“You… what?” Mixmaster asked in disbelief. “You found a sparkling in the /trash/?!”

“Yes. He’s mine now. Well ours. Finders-keepers. Other’s mechs trash is someone else’s treasure.” Scavenger hugged the bitlet, grinning. “And technically I’m not breaking the pet rule!”

The Pet rule was invented when Scavenger thought it wise to start collecting stray cyber-cats. He managed to hide them but then again it was never easy to hide sixteen cyber-cats in just one house. Still, amazingly the mech managed to do it for almost half a vorn, which is saying something.

“No, that is / _shattering_ / the Pet rule.” Mixmaster said. “The boss is going to kill you.”

“No he won’t! I saved it!” Scavenger argued.

“Stop calling the sparkling an ‘it’.” Bonecrusher called. “We can’t keep it – go get rid of it before someone finds out.”

“We can’t just throw him out.” Hook groaned. “This is a Vosnian sparkling. What the slag was it even /doing/ in the trash. In Praxus of all places!”

“Beats me.” Scavenger cooed at the bitlet. “But he’s ours now. Think we can paint him green? You gotta be green to be a Constructicon!”

“Won’t paint harm it?” Mixmaster frowned, looking at Hook for confirmation.

“Mechs, we /can’t/ keep it. What are we gonna do with it?” Hook mech said instead, crossing his arms.

“Aww, but look how cute he is!” Scavenger brought the sparkling close to the mechanic’s face, forcing Hook to take a step back.

“I agree, it is quite adorable.” Long Haul on the other hand dared to pet it.

“The boss will /never/ let is keep it.” Bonecrusher added.

“He doesn’t need to know we have it.” Scavenger argued, tail twisting behind him. “We can hide him.”

“Oh, brilliant, because it’s so /easy/ to hide a sparkling. They take so little space!” Hook exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air.

“Yes, they do!” Scavenger agreed. “We can make a little nest in the wall, add blankets and stuff.”

Hook pressed his face in his palm. Scavenger was the one that took the break of the bond the hardest and it had… is effects. “Scavenger, for the last time, the sparkling—“

“Marble.”

“What?” Hook frowned.

“It has a designation. It’s Marble.”

“…Marble can’t live in the wall.” Hook finished drily.

“What if we just asked the boss to keep it?” Long Haul suggested.

“Not it.” Mixmaster said suddenly. “I’m /so not/ the one telling him.”

“Don’t look at me either.” Bonecrusher stated. “Scavenger’s the one that found it.”

“Or, you can just take it back where you found it.” Hook said.

“No, it’s /ours/!”

“Scavenger!” Hook suddenly argued. “That is a slagging sparkling, it probably belongs to someone! You don’t just find one and decide to keep it!”

Never one to keep a tight control on his field, Hook’s annoyance and irritation easily sipped around the sparkling that was already starting to get restless in Scavenger’s grip. It was all too easy to upset it and make it start crying.

“Oh brilliant!” Long Haul groaned.

“You broke it!” Scavenger glared at Hook. “Why would you do that!”

“Make it stop!” Bonecrushed complained.

“It’s making too much noise!” Mixmaster said. “And the boss’s mate is gonna—“

Too late. Scrapper quickly turned around, hiding the crying sparkling, hand covering its little mouth. Bonecrusher and Long Haul stepped before him, hiding him from view.

“…What the slag is going on here?” A tired voice asked.

Four sets of red optics turned to look at the entrance of the room, where a mech was using the door-frame to support himself upright. A sickish blue visor looked at them in confusion.

“…Was that a /sparkling/?”

Mixmaster and Hook however quickly spurred into action and went to the mech, standing in a way that blocked the rest of the room, their size helping.

“Jazz, what are you doing out of the berth? You should be resting with that nasty virus you have.”

Jazz rubbed his shoulder, trying to ignore the pounding helm ache and the noise from the room didn’t stop. “What are you all doing? Was that a sparkling?”

“What? No. It’s the virus, Jazz.” Hook helped guide him out of the room. “It’s still messing with your cortex and general reception. Didn’t the medic tell you plenty of rest and lots of warm energon? What’s the boss going to say when he comes come and sees you out of the berth?”

“Then what was all that noise?”Jazz asked, not really being able to resist being guided away. Mixmaster followed them.

“A project we’re working on. What you need to work on is returning to optimum status in order to fully please our boss. He deserves nothing but the best after all.”

“It’s so nice to see how concerned you are for me. Or rather my ability to please. ” Jazz said drily. “But then again you did use my name this time and not concubine or pleasure-mech or whatever nickname you lot come up with…” He muttered.

“You make the boss happy.” Mixmaster said. “We like it when he’s happy. If he’s happy, we’re happy. That means you’re doing your job well. Plus you give good overloads and sometimes when the boss is feeling generous he lets us feel them.”

Jazz groaned. “Right. I’m still trying not to think about that fact.” With a tired sigh, Jazz mused that this was an improvement. At first they barely let him get close to his lover and when they finally did get used to the idea they had to keep reminding him who the boss was, never mind that Jazz was the one to have him first. They were even planning bonding when this circus joined them. His mate was so lucky he loved him. /And/ that he saw that this lot was actually very sweet, just bark and no bite; well, mostly.

“Mixmaster, why don’t you go and mix some warm energon for Jazz here to help him feel better? I can feel his core-temp isn’t as it should be.”

“That’s sweet, but no thanks. I was thinking about recharging again—“

Which meant passing by the living room. And hearing the sparkling cry again. Thank Primus the mech had a virus that dulled his senses or they would’ve been busted a long time ago.

“Nonsense! Mixmaster’s mixes are the best for getting weak systems back in shape. Right Mixmaster?”Hook looked at him expectedly. Ah, the slag he did for his brothers. Scrapper better be proud.

“Right! Jazz, you liked palladium, right?” This time Mixmaster started guiding the mech towards the kitchen as Hook paused.

“I’m gonna go back and join the rest, alright? Alright.” Not waiting for an answer, Hook quickly made his way to the room where his brothers were and found silence. It was foreboding and it made him worry.

“How did you make it stop?” Hook asked, going over them.

“Long Haul had an energon goodie with him.” Scavenger said, showing the sparkling happily sucking on a rust stick.

“…I’m pretty sure those aren’t good for him.” Hook deadpanned. But at least it was quiet.

“I said the same thing.” Bonecrusher muttered, arms crossed. “Did Jazz suspect anything?”

“No, he still feels like slag so that’s something at least.” Hook rubbed his face. “Which brings us back to the situation at hand – Scavenger, we /can’t/ keep it.”

“I’m keeping it.”

“You wouldn’t be saying this if I was Scrapper!”

“But you’re not!” Scavenger suddenly snapped, engine giving a warning growl before it died down. He didn’t want to upset the sparkling again.

“…No, I’m not. And neither is our new boss, but I know what he’s going to tell us—“

“Actually, I’m going to ask what is going on here.” The familiar voice made them wince and they all turned around to look at the door-way.

“Ah, hi boss.” Bonecrusher waved nervously.

Prowl gave them an unimpressed look, door-wings flaring behind his back. “And all of you better have a pretty good explanation about it.”


	2. Thinking about it + OVA

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta'd, so I'm sorry for the typos ^^" 
> 
> Also, for this chapter you get a surprise! When I showed **silberstreif** the chapter she got inspired and wrote a small OVA for the fic :D So think of it like a bonus scene that is super cute.

“So you just found it in the trash.” Prowl stated, but it wasn’t a question. He was staring down at the little bundle of parts, currently in his lap and helping it drink from a tiny cube filled with low grade energon. “Why didn’t you call me?”

Scavenger hesitated. His brothers were all seated in the living room and he was the only one standing in front of Prowl, being interrogated by their boss. He kept twitching, shifting his gaze from Marble (that was almost in recharge by the looks of it and was just gnawing on the cube), to Prowl who kept his gaze cool and level, to his brothers who avoided his optics.

“Scavenger.” Prowl started, voice calm. “You are not in trouble, I’m just asking you a question.”

“…I’m not?” Scavenger actually looked shocked. “But the pet rule—“

“Is for /pets/.” Prowl stressed the work even as Hook facepalmed again. “Scavenger, why did you feel the need to hide this from /me/. I promised I would look after you all, didn’t I?”

The Constructicon shuffled, avoiding Prowl’s optics.

“ _Scavenger_.”

The mech flinched. “I thought… _we_ thought you would take Marble away.” He finally looked at him, with pleading optics. “And he’s one of us. You can’t… you can’t just take him away.”

Scavenger felt suddenly comfort over the gestalt link, all of his brothers were there for him. And Prowl… Prowl was sending comfort and support as well. “Boss?” He asked, uncertain.

Prowl gave something that resembled a tired sigh as he subspaced the now empty cube and stood up, the sparkling in his arms finally in recharge. “I’ve notified the needed authorities about this.” He said quietly.

All five Constructicons shifted at the news even as Scavenger asked, crushed, “ _Why_?!”

“Because he is not /ours/ to keep.” Prowl explained, pale blue optics studying his gestalt member. “He might belong to someone, Scavenger. We can’t just keep him like this. What if he has creators and family that miss him?”

“If they really missed him or cared about him for that matter, they wouldn’t throw him in the slagging trash!” Bonecrusher suddenly added, “C’mon boss, this is slag and you know it!”

“…I agree.” Long Haul said, frowning. “Even if we return it to his family, who’s to say they won’t do it again, or worse?”

“I would not allow that to happen.” Prowl told them and there was finality in his voice, door-wing lifting on his back.

“But—“ Mixmaster was the one to speak up next.

“However,” Prowl went on, not letting them finish. “Should the sparkling, Marble as you named him, really be abandoned and alone, after we /all/,” And in this number Prowl always meant Jazz was included, “need to discuss if we want to adopt him. And if we are fit to do that. Those are the rules. That is how it’s done. We don’t just keep sparklings we find on the street.” His gaze softened at Scavenger. “Even if our intentions are pure.”

Said mech was looking away, refusing to meet Prowl’s optics.

“Social Services and an enforcer will come in the morning to take our statement and to take Marble for the time being. I told him we have a capable medic who would always inform us if something goes wrong.” Prowl glanced at Hook. “So, for the night… you may keep him.”

Scavenger was to bewildered as Prowl suddenly offered him to take the recharging sparkling. “…Me?!”

“You’re the one that insisted on keeping him.” Prowl explained as he handed over the little mech. “Think of it as a test run.” He looked to the rest of the mech in the room. “For all of you. You want a sparkling? Prove to me that you can take care of one, for one night.”

“…Really?”

Door-wings twitching on his back, finally Prowl managed a small smile. “Yes. Also, I think all of us could use a merge? We are due for a sync.” The link between then suddenly sang with life and anticipation and the feeling of five mutual /yes/.

“And…Marble?” Hook asked. “Who will look after him?”

“Jazz of course.” Prowl said easily, door-wings giving an amused flutter. “He can look after him during the merge.”

“…Right. Give the sparkling to the mech that can barely walk.” Hook snorted.

“Who said he needs to be on his pedes?” Prowl asked, mischievous.

And that is how Jazz found himself passed out in the huge berth, curled with a sparkling resting next to him in the middle of it, two huge pillows on both sides to make sure the little thing didn’t decide to crawl around or shift in his recharge.

Prowl didn’t hide the smile as Bonecrusher admitted grumpily that his chosen mate actually looked cute with the sparkling on the berth before Prowl pulled them all to the room where the gestalt rested together, petting them gently, giving attention to each and every one of them.

~

Jazz’s visor slowly flickered back on when he felt something cold on his forehead . Blinking, vision blurry for a moment, he saw that Prowl was sitting on the berth next to him, resting his hand above the cold cloth on his helm. But before Jazz could question him, he quickly glanced to his side and—

Nothing.

“Where’s the sparkling?”

“Resting with the gestalt.” Prowl said softly. “After all, they are all bent on making it a Constructicon.”

Jazz huffed hot air from his vents. “…I knew I heard a sparkling’s cry. Of all the times to get a slagging virus…”

“I am impressed you managed to wake up enough to actually look after it.” Prowl said as he drew the cloth back and dipped it in the icy water, before returning it to its previous position.

Jazz gave him a dry look. “Did you really think you can just put a tiny mech on the berth and expect me to not notice it?”

“Your reaction is quite calm to one waking up next to an unfamiliar sparkling.” Prowl said, cocking his door wings curiously. He used the cloth to brush Jazz’s face, feeling the heat roll off from his frame.

“…Love, you went and /bonded/ with five mechs you barely knew. I have reached new levels to handle things I can’t explain.” Jazz gave a tired sigh. “And just when I was getting used to the traveling circus, you go and decide to add another trooper.”

“It’s not certain. The sparkling could have creators.” Prowl countered. “We also need to be approved by Social Services. And I told them that the decision must be unanimous, from all of us – including you.”

“It’s fine. I can handle sharing you with five mechs that I seriously doubt the sanity of. What’s a tiny sparkling compared to that?”

Prowl suddenly leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to Jazz’s warm lips. He lingered there for a moment, letting his field envelope Jazz and show his endless gratitude before he pulled back. “You know you are one of a kind, right?”

“I try to be.” Jazz offered a cheeky grin that didn’t exactly have the same effect with his pale visor.

Prowl shook his helm, amused as he dipped the cloth again but this time he brushed Jazz’s throat with it. “…The logical reaction to a mech engaged to another mech, upon hearing the news that their chosen one had gone and bonded with not one, but five other mechs, would be to leave them and never call that mech again. Yet you stayed.” Prowl said, field fluttering, nervous and humbled at the same time. “And you’re doing it again, with the sparkling.”

Jazz shifted, allowing more of his throat to be exposed but he avoided Prowl’s optics. “…I love you. And nothing is gonna stand in my way to be with you, as long as you want me. Even if that means I gotta live with five mechs that think me as your concubine or personal servant or whatever.” He chuckled tiredly. “But hey, it’s slowly improving. They are starting to accept me.” After a short pause he added, “I think.”

Prowl shook his helm, chuckling. “They like you. Don’t worry about that.”

“Though it would’ve been nice for the heads up.” Jazz added. “Last time I woke up to the news you bonded, now I wake up again to a sparkling in my berth…what’s next?”

“I am hoping there are no more surprises.” Prowl said softly, cupping Jazz’s cheek. “I know this isn’t easy for you.”

“…Remember our deal.” Jazz told him. “The moment you think the gestalt link is stable, we /bond/. Okay?” He asked, but at the end uncertainness entered his voice.

“I /swear/ to you. On my spark.” Prowl said and pulled his hand away to brush Jazz’s lips with the cold cloth.

With Scrapper gone, and Prowl’s spark was the only thing stabilizing the distraught gestalt, it would take a while for the link between them to be stable again. Forcing Prowl to bond with another mech, not part of said link, it could destabilize it and the effect could be catastrophic on /all/ of them.

Jazz shuttered his visor. “…I hate having a virus.”

“I doubt anyone likes it.” Prowl pointed out.

“Oh shut up.” Jazz muttered. “Why aren’t you in recharge?”

“I’m about to. I just wanted to cool you down a bit.” Prowl said.

“I’m fine. Get your aft in the berth. I’m not contagious, sheesh.” Jazz said quietly, voice slurring a little as recharge started to take over.

“If you insist.” Prowl smiled and did just that after he removed the cloth. “Gladly.”

~

**OVA – by silberstreif**

Prowl looked up from his desk. "Yes?"

His boss, Greenlight, frowned at him. "In a decaorn is another vornparty. I am aware that you missed the last four with increasingly creative excuses, but this one you will visit."

Prowl nodded with a sigh. "I understand."

"See that you do. If you are truly so uncomfortable, you can bring someone."

Prowl blinked, door-wings tilting up. "You mean like family...?"

"If it makes you come, yes bring your family." Greenlight sighed. "Just come."

~

 The party came around and Prowl came. That was a surprise in itself. But what /really/ surprised everyone was that he hadn't come alone, or with _one_ mech on his arm. No, he had came surrounded by an entire group.

Clawstrike looked at his boss. "Who are they?"

Greenlight, the Chief, frowned . "Let's find out." He walked across the entire hall, Clawstrike closely behind im. Aware that the optics of nearly every enforcer were following him. "Good evening Prowl. It is good to see you here."

Prowl who had been talking to the strange mechs turned around. "Good evening Greenlight, Clawstrike."

Greenlight looked at the 6 mechs behind him - and Primus, was that a sparkling? "Well, when I said you could bring someone, I thought more along the lines of... a lover. Not your whole extended family."

To his surprise Prowl winced. "Ah, well..." Then he straightened. "Captain Greenlight, Clawstrike, maybe I introduce you to my bonded companions Longhaul, Hook, Scavenger, Mixmaster and Bonecrusher."

The enforcers stared .Prowl had five bonded?! But Prowl didn't stop there. "And this is my engaged lover Jazz, the sparkling he is holding is our adopted sparkling Marble."

Greenlight found himself closing his jaw gently. "...Delighted to meet you all." With that both walked away, going for some high grade. Both needed it. Clawstrike looked just as stunned as him.

"I thought Prowl was the loner of the precint."

"He was," said Greenlight. "Three vorns he had no one, I asked."

Clawstrike looked back to the group. "Well, he seems to move fast."

“Yep.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The OVA isn't plot related but too adorable to stay hidden on my laptop, so I had to share :D


	3. The new member

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new member is added to the crew and Jazz deals with some trouble of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! ^^" The chapter has been ready since... a very, very long time ago XD I just never got to posting it.  
> Not beta'd, sadly. Enjoy!

Piper had worked on many cases involving missing and abandoned sparkings. Some were harder to handle than others, but never in his practice as a Social Service worker had he ever seen such a thing. He left Praxus because he wanted to make a difference in the bigger and more dangerous cities, where his help was actually needed. And what city could provide him a wider span of cases like Iacon?

Even he (or anyone else, really) couldn’t expect a situation like this one.

“… Alright, I know you have been asked this by the Enforcers already but you’ll probably get asked quite a few more times: There were no notes? No calls? No clues as if to whom the sparkling belongs to?” Piper asked, trying hard not to lose appear nervous in a room of seven mechs and a sparkling.

To say that the living room was overly crowded would be an understatement.

Five of those mechs nodded, seated on the large couch and a drowsy sparkling between them.

“When do we get to keep him?” Scavenger, if he remembered correctly, asked.

Piper hesitated. He twitched his door-wings. “An investigation is currently in the process. We couldn’t find the sparkling registered in the system yet. We are looking for his creators and—“

“But I found him!” Scavenger protested and a couple of his brothers nodded. “He should be ours now.”

“That’s not how it works.” Piper found himself explaining.

“Why not?!”

“Because those are the rules.”

“But—“

“Scavenger.” Prowl spoke up. “Don’t be unreasonable. Let the Social Worker do his job.”

Scavenger closed his mouth but he looked anything _but_ happy.

Piper looked down at the pad in his hand. “You have all requested for temporary custody while the investigation is in process?”

“Yes.” Prowl chose to speak this time. He gave his gestalt a look. “We believe the sparkling that we are currently calling Marble for the time being would be well looked after here.”

“Then my next task will be to determine if this home is safe for a sparkling to reside in. So let me get everything in order – you are bonded to the mechs listed: Hook, Mixmaster, Bonecrusher, Long Haul and Scavenger?” The listed mechs nodded again. “Are there any other relatives living here?” They shook their head. “And you all live in this residence?” More nods. “Alright. You all bring in credits into the family and have the funds to look after Marble. Alright, good. Have you familiarized yourself with what a sparkling will need? And especially a Seeker-sparkling?”

“We can learn.” Hook said. “I’m a mechanic. It can’t be harder than the anatomy of a sla--.” He coughed as Mixmaster suddenly elbowed him. “I mean, it can’t be that hard.”

Piper ignored that. “The apartment will need to be safety-proofed.” He said, looking them all over.

“Piece of oil cake.” Mixmaster said.

“This requires dedication.” The social worker advised.

“We know.” Long Haul answered. “Look, this ain’t some crystal plant we’re gonna look after – it’s a new gestalt member!”

Piper blinked. Looking down at his pad, he asked, “It says here that your 6th gestalt member was a mech called Scrapper—“

“How the slag is that relevant?” Bonescrusher asked, stuffing his engine’s growl.

“I need to know how stable your gestalt link is.” Piper looked to each one of them in person.

“It’s stable.” Prowl spoke up. “I bonded with them before permanent damage could happen. Currently everything is fine with the link and we are waiting for the bond to fully settle and accept me. We visit a medic regularly and everything is documented on out files, which have access to.”

The Social worker looked down at his pad, searching for more questions to ask but the only mech with a blue visored and the smallest one from the bunch spoke up before he could. “Look, mech. We’re a weird bunch but we’re good mechs – especially that lot over there. They would cut off their servos before they allowed harm to fall on Marble here. And so will Prowler and I. So you can ask us all the questions in the world, but you and I both know the squirt will be happy here.”

Piper looked at Jazz, a little surprised. He had forgotten for a moment about the last mech in the room. “And you are…” He glanced at the pad, “Jazz?”

“Yep.”

“And your role here is…?” Piper asked. And got quite the interesting answers.

“A maid.” Said Hook, amused.

“The boss’s lover.” Said Mixmaster.

“Nobody.” Added Bonecrusher gloomy.

“He’ll be our extra sparkling sitter.” Added Scrapper. “See? We’re totally equipped to do this.”

“He’s my future bond-mate.” Said Prowl loudly, giving his gestalt a reprimanding look. “We are waiting for the bond to settle for us to officially join sparks.”

“… _Another_ bondmate?” Piper said, looking at Jazz surprised to say the least before giving a nervous cough. That was insensitive of him to say. “I must say, that’s quite.. impressive.” Because having five apparently wasn’t enough.

Prowl was silent for a moment. “Is that important for the case?”

“It could be. Right now, not really, but it is something that I need to be informed about.”

Little whimpers could be heard and when Piper looked at Marble who was fussing in Scavenger’s hands. “Someone’s sleepy.”

“He spent all morning climbing on us in the berth.” Long Haul explained. “It’s the seeker code. He wants heights.”

“I have this plan for a wonderful jungle gym for him. All safety included. He’ll be high _and_ safe.” Mixmaster said. “I designed the plans this night. I can show them to you?”

“No, that’s quite alright.” Piper said with a faint smile. “It looks like I’ll be going to the orphanage empty handed.”

“Wait, does that mean…?” Scavenger got to his pedes, clutching the sparkling close.

“Yes.” The Social worker nodded. “You can keep him for now.” Then he looked at Prowl as the obvious leader of the gestalt. “I will visit you every three orns and call you during the other times. I expect to _always_ have my visits and calls returned.”

“They will.” Prowl promised. Right after he said that the sparkling started crying.

“Alright newbie!” Scavenger said as he and his brothers stood up from the couch as well, “Let’s get you to recharge!”

“He needs one third of his energon cube ration – I read they sleep better at a full tank.” Hook explained as the mechs and sparkling vanished upstairs.

Suddenly it was all too quiet.

* * *

Later that night, Jazz looked up from the data pad he was reading when he heard pede steps in the living room. He glanced down at the sleeping sparkling on his chest and then back at Prowl. “They want the lil’ guy back?” He asked quietly.

Prowl nodded. “Yes.”

Jazz nodded and carefully handed the jello of a sparkling to Prowl who canted his door-wings in a thanks. Ten breems later, Prowl returned to the living room, finding Jazz in the same position as before.

“Not coming to the berth?” He asked.

Jazz shrugged. “I don’t feel like sleeping.”

Prowl sat down on the couch and rested his arm above Jazz, pulling him close. “How do you feel?” He asked, absently placing his hand on Jazz’s forehead to feel his temperature.

“Better.” Jazz said, shrugging the hand off. “Nowhere near as bad as last night. Still have the head ache but, yeah…”

Prowl was silent. “The headache is not the only thing troubling you.”

“What makes you say that?” Jazz asked casually.

“If it’s about what they said to the Social Worker about you—“

“It’s not.” Jazz said simply, visor locked with the pad he held.

“Then why are you upset?” Prowl asked. “Jazz, I know you. I can tell when something is bothering you.”

“Nothing is bothering me.”

“Jazz….”

The visited mech remained silent.

Prowl sighed and was about to try something else when Jazz decided to finally speak. “Y’know, the fact that I have to spell it out for you pisses me off even more.”

Prowl frowned at his mate. “Jazz, you know I do not like the Guessing Game.”

“It’s not about what they _said_.” Jazz spoke quietly. “It’s about what _wasn’t_ said.”

“What do you mean?” Prowl questioned him, tilting his door-wings in surprise.

“You didn’t deny a single thing they said about me.”

“That’s not true.”

“Oh please.” Jazz scoffed.

“It’s _not_ true, Jazz.” Prowl insisted, reaching for Jazz’s wrist to shift him so his mate would actually look at him.

“That Social worker thought I was a servant or something. Maybe you should’ve said that – it always looks good on the resume when you tell you got a maid in the house. You did not say anything.” He tried to pull his hand but Prowl didn’t let hum budge.

“I told him we were engaged. What more is there?” Prowl asked, still frowning.

Jazz finally managed to yank his hand stood up from the couch. “Whatever.”

“Jazz, wait.” Prowl chased after him. “Don’t be like this.”

“You know,” Jazz said as he suddenly stopped and turned to face Prowl he nearly collided with him. “I handle a lot as you currently notice, but every once in a while it does feel good to know that I matter just as much as that lot upstairs!”

“So it’s about /that/.” Prowl stated, flaring his door-wings.

“No!” Jazz quickly said. “It’s not _that_. I settled _that_ the orn we started all living together. It’s…” Jazz gripped his head. Primus, this was frustrating. Just when he needed words the most, the words fail him. “I can’t explain it.”

“You’re jealous?”

“Oh please, don’t insult me.” Jazz said quickly with a huff of hot air from his vents. “I don’t even know why I’m upset. There, are you happy now?”

“No. I’m never happy when you’re upset.” Prowl answered.

“It was a rhetorical question.” Jazz muttered.

Twitching his door-wings, Prowl sighed. He took Jazz’s hand and started to lead him upstairs to their room. He was happy when Jazz didn’t resist and they entered the berthroom, where they could speak in private. Not that anything said between then would ever be private – thanks to the bond he shared, even if partially blocked, couldn’t stop the flow of constant influx of thoughts during the spark merge.

Prowl sat down on the berth and gently tipped Jazz’s chin to look at him. “Have I made you doubt my love for you?” He asked quietly.

“No.” Jazz whispered.

“Have I offended you? Have I not made clear your position in this house? In my life?”

“…No.”

Smiling gently, Prowl shifted his hand so now it rested above Jazz’s chest. “Can you tell me what you felt?”

Jazz hesitated. Ever since Prowl bonded with the gestalt he had gotten much better at understanding emotions and interpreting them. “…I felt alone.”

“You’re not.” Prowl said firmly. “Never alone. And I wish you could feel it, but they do not hate you. The only proof I have for you is my word and for now it will have to be enough. But they do not, Jazz, trust me.” Prowl explained. “It’s how gestalts think, how they function – there’s a hierarchy, code deep. First and foremost is the gestalt, everything else doesn’t matter. And they like you – they just don’t know how to express it properly to someone outside the bond. If you could feel it, you would understand.”

Jazz snorted but a small bitter smile grew on his face and he lifted a hand to press it above Prowl’s. “Right. So calling me a Maid or Nothing is their way of showing their feelings for me? Gee, I feel the love.”

“I didn’t say it would be easy.” Prowl said quietly. “I love them, but it’s a different kind of love, not the same I share with you. You know that.”

“I do.” Jazz murmured.

Prowl leaned forward and with his other hand he brushed Jazz’s cheek. “Good.” He pressed a soft kiss to Jazz’s lips.

“Why do you always gotta be so logical?” Jazz pouted but it was like a bubble had burst and suddenly all the tension from the room was gone.

“Someone has to be in this house.” Prowl said with a smile.

Jazz seemed thoughtful. “Sooo…. The next _logical_ thing to do is have make-up interfacing, right?” He asked, grinning.

“That would be the logical thing to do, yes.” Prowl murmured, tracing gently the lines on Jazz’s back.

Jazz’s response was to grin and lean forward for one of the many kisses that followed that night.

 


End file.
